Rock the Vote is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organiza-
tion devoted to engaging the youth of the United
States in political discussion and participation. Dur-
ing the 1990’s, Rock the Vote was lauded as responsi-
ble for stopping the twenty-year decline in youth
voter turnout.
Early Years Jeff Ayeroff, a recording industry exec-
utive, in conjunction with other members of the re-
cording industry, founded Rock the Vote in 1990 af-
ter perceived attacks on free speech. The first Rock
the Vote campaign, “Censorship is UnAmerican,”
debuted that year, and celebrities like Iggy Pop, Red
Hot Chili Peppers, and Woody Harrelson recorded
public-service announcements for the organization.
In 1991, President George H. W. Bush vetoed the
National Voter Registration Act (also known as the
Motor Voter Act), a bill supported by Rock the Vote
that would standardize voter registration through a
variety of services like the Departments of Motor Ve-
hicles, libraries, schools, and disability centers. The
bill was later passed in 1993 and signed into law by
President Bill Clinton. It came into effect in 1995.
1992, 1994, and 1996 Elections In 1992, more
celebrities signed on to record public-service an-
nouncements, including R.E.M., Queen Latifah, and
Aerosmith. Queen Latifah later hosted a special on
the Fox network for Rock the Vote, which featured
more celebrities such as Robin Williams, Michael
Douglas, Madonna, Tom Cruise, and Chris Rock. The
broadcast won a prestigious Peabody Award.
That year, more than 350,000 voters were regis-
tered by Rock the Vote. The organization is credited
for the turnout of over two million new youth voters
during that year’s elections. Youth voter participa-
tion had been declining steadily over the previous
twenty years but actually increased because of Rock
the Vote’s efforts. After signing the National Voter
Registration Act into law in 1993, Clinton signed the
National and Community Service Trust Act, which
promoted volunteerism and was supported by Rock
the Vote.
In 1994, Rock the Vote published its pamphlet
“Rock the System: A Guide to Health Care for Young
Americans” and distributed it free of charge. Rock
the Vote also awarded R.E.M. the first annual Patrick
Lippert Award, honoring former executive director
Patrick Lippert, who had died in 1993 from compli-
cations related to AIDS. Queen Latifah and Pearl
Jam were honored with the award in 1995. That year,
Rock the Vote won a second Peabody Award for a se-
ries of short films focusing on health care.
In 1996, Rock the Vote expanded through a part-
nership with MTV’s Choose or Lose campaign. The
organization then debuted a program to register vot-
ers via phone and, in partnership with MCI, created
the first Internet voter-registration program. Celeb-
rities such as Drew Barrymore, Seal, L L Cool J, and
Hootie and the Blowfish recorded public-service an-
nouncements, and the Ford Foundation gave Rock
the Vote a grant to help fund its voter-registration
campaign. Rock the Vote directly registered over half
a million new voters for the 1996 elections.
As the decade wound down, Rock the Vote contin-
ued to record public-service announcements with
celebrities. In 1998, theSchoolhouse Rocks the Voteal-
bum was produced and featured artists such as Isaac
Hayes and Etta James. During the 1998 midterm
election season, Rock the Vote registered over one-
quarter of a million new voters. In 1999, First Lady
Hillary Rodham Clinton was awarded the first Rock
the Nation Award.Impact Rock the Vote was directly responsible for
the registration of over one million new voters dur-
ing the 1990’s and indirectly responsible for bring-
ing even more of those voters to the polls. Through
the use of new technology, celebrity and industry
partnerships, and direct street contact, Rock the
Vote has effectively brought the attention of the
American youth to the political world.Subsequent Events Rock the Vote has expanded
beyond the United States since its inception in 1990,
encouraging voters in other countries such as Ire-
land. The Rock the Vote movement expanded signif-
icantly during the 2000 and 2004 elections, became
more aware of the growing number of Hispanic vot-
ers, and held a youth gathering after September 11,
2001, to discuss youth reactions and impact, later
sending copies of the proceedings to Congress.Further Reading
Connery, Michael.Youth to Power: How Today’s Young
Voters Are Building Tomorrow’s Progressive Majority.
Brooklyn, N.Y.: Ig Publishing, 2008. Connery ex-
amines how the current generation have become
civically and technologically minded and are apply-
ing their skills to create a new progressive political
atmosphere. Highlights some of the key figures re-
sponsible for the creation of this movement.The Nineties in America Rock the Vote 727